Rise of the Vertical Farm

"Here's hoping that this Vegas happening won't stay there."

Here's BETTING that it WILL stay there. $6M/yr in operating costs? The estimated $15M/yr in tourista income will offset that ONE time, and only in Vegas where people will pay to see what's wild and crazy. Can you see touristas flocking to, say, Omaha to see the second one? Apples and winter squash for 72K people. There are over 1M touristas/yr going to Vegas, so the feeding frenzy will be harsh... It IS a nice proof of concept, though, and with global warming coming around (maybe), some of our traditional cropland may go the way of the buggy whip, thus making the vertical farm less of an option, and more of a mandate.

The solar influx is 260 Watts / square meters on a cloudless day. You use it the best you see. So, in a hugest, vastest, most humongous area of the southern desert, What the point?

Ah. I forgot, it is Las Vegas. How pedestrian of me.

Hmm, I don't see a lot of tourist flocking to the San Joaquin Valley or Central California Coast to see a few thousand of those, which would be needed to offset a significant portion of current farming efforts. Plus the adverse aesthetic impact would probably kill the project in the CEQA process. After a few years, I foresee an empty structure when the tourist grow tired of it and the facilities do not have that new idea appeal. Maybe they can plan ahead for the redesign in 2020.

Perhaps a vertical farm is too closed minded for Vegas... How about an agricultural technology center which showcases the latest and greatest in R&D so that the place constantly re-invents itself. Come back in six months and see something new!

Sort of a like continuous farm show like they do annually in Tulare, CA, that rotates technologies at regular intervals. That could actually be interesting, if they added in some of the biotechnologies to demonstrate advancements in plants sciences. They would need small plots to grow stuff on i guess. Though I would be suspicious of it becoming a primarily a marketing venture, where questionable science is being disclosed to the attendees to promote a new product, rather than valid R & D.

Yeah, Monsanto and Cargill sponsorships. Poker tables with shortgrass tops instead of green felt, etc. Only in Vegas could it go downhill so fast...

I hope that thing never gets built.

what a joke